Complications
by Tomecko
Summary: It was a particularly inopportune time for Oscar Pine to fall in love - after all, he didn't have a lot of time left. A Rosegarden fic.
1. The Rose

Usual Disclaimer: I don't own this. Rooster Teeth does. And I am not Rooster Teeth, just a person with too much time on their hands.

 **Complications**

 **Chapter 1: The Rose**

He was packing up his equipment in the dojo when Ozpin called out to him.

 _Ah. Pay attention, Oscar, you might enjoy this._

Oscar paused, looking around to see what the old man was referring to. Through the open door of the dojo, he could see Ruby Rose across the training grounds. The sun was beginning to dip behind the trees, painting her cloak in brilliant orange and casting long shadows over the packed earth.

 _I don't think you've gotten a chance to see Miss Rose wield her weapon before. I assure you, it's quite the sight._

Oscar stepped outside, immediately curious. They'd been training in only hand-to-hand combat since he arrived. And even now that he was surrounded by huntsmen and huntresses, he still hadn't gotten to see one in action.

"Ohhhh, my sweet Crescent Rose, it's been too long," Ruby was saying, holding an odd rectangle of red metal in her hands and stroking it lovingly.

Oscar leaned on the fence and raised an eyebrow. _What is that thing?_

 _You'll see,_ Ozpin said. Their connection was growing stronger daily, and while he still could only hear little bits and pieces of the old man's private thoughts, he could reliably gauge his emotions. And right now, Ozpin was feeling amused.

At the far end of the training grounds, Ruby's sister stood behind several stacks of clay discs, rubbing her hands together and grinning toothily. "You ready, sis?" she called.

Ruby was practically bouncing with anticipation, holding her red rectangle in both hands like a gun, which Oscar realized probably meant it was one. "Pull!" she shouted.

Discs began flying as Yang moved with ferocious speed, punching and kicking the stacks. Ruby raised her gun and fired three shots in quick succession, and three discs puffed into dust with a satisfying clatter. More flew in to take their place.

Ruby gave a laugh of pure joy and Oscar's mouth fell open in amazement as her rectangle sprang apart and unfolded, forming into a massive red scythe. Of all the weapons he'd expected Ruby – sweet and kind and only a little bigger than him – to wield, a towering scythe had not been one of them. Inside his head, Ozpin was chuckling.

And he certainly hadn't expected her to move like this. Clay pigeons smashed with every turn of the massive blade, as Ruby ducked and wove and spun, twirling the weapon not only effortlessly, but with a zeal and exhilaration that was unmistakable. This was the girl who had barely been able to throw a punch in their first training session?

He was spellbound. She moved like she'd been born for battle, like she and the scythe were one unit, perfectly attuned. Her face was lit up with a brilliant smile, the orange light of the sunset glinting off her silver eyes as she hunted down every disc. Not a single one escaped her flurry of strikes. Her red cloak trailed rose petals as she activated her Semblance with pinpoint accuracy.

"Wow," he breathed.

The stacks of clay pigeons dwindled quickly, and Yang hurled the last one like a Frisbee, so swiftly that it whined as it sped through the air. With unflinching determination, Ruby slammed her blade into the ground and fired a single shot. The disc shattered inches from her face, and Yang cheered.

 _You're right, Ozpin,_ Oscar thought. _She's... incredible._

Clay dust was now drifting down over the training grounds like a localized snowstorm, muting the black in Ruby's hair, and when her sister clapped her on the back in congratulations, a cloud of it billowed out from her cloak. They dissolved into peals of laughter, and coughing, and more laughter.

She caught his eye as she shook the dust out of her hair, and waved across the training grounds at him, her face beaming. He returned the wave, feeling an odd flutter in his chest.

 _Oh, no..._

 _What?_ He thought back at Ozpin.

 _It's nothing,_ Ozpin replied. But he could feel a change in that current of emotion – Where there had been amusement and even pride, now there was... concern? Uneasiness? He couldn't pin down the feeling, exactly.

But he was able to catch just a trace of the old man's inner thoughts:

 _You're a very foolish man, Ozpin._


	2. The Warning

**Complications**

 **Chapter 2: The Warning**

 _You're staring at her again, Oscar._

Oscar guiltily wrenched his gaze away from the girl in question and tried to focus on his breakfast. Inside his head, the old man was working himself up into full-lecture-mode. Oscar was getting tired of full-lecture-mode.

 _I am thankful that your chat with Miss Rose the other night helped to alleviate some of your fears_ , Ozpin began, in his usual long-winded manner. _And I was entirely serious when I said she was a remarkable girl. But I worry that too much admiration on your part may lead to... complications._

Oscar glanced at Ruby again, who was seated at the adjoining table, laughing with her friends. She'd come down to breakfast in her pajamas. They had polka-dots. They were very cute.

 _Focus, please, Oscar. It is imperative you understand. Developing a crush on Miss Rose would be ill-advised, for many reasons._

 _It's not like I'm trying to,_ Oscar muttered internally, scowling at the fruit on his plate. _But she's nice, and pretty, and super awesome, and when she smiles, her nose does this thing where it crinkles up..._

Ozpin sighed _. She was formerly my student. Her_ parents _were formerly my students. You must understand this is deeply uncomfortable._

 _Yeah, I know._ Oscar jabbed his fork into a bit of cantaloupe, a bit harder than absolutely necessary.

 _I know it sounds harsh, but given our situation, romance is a luxury that we cannot afford. It could only lead to heartbreak. Do you understand, Oscar?_ There was a softer tone to Ozpin's voice now, something almost fatherly.

 _Yeah, yeah, I got it,_ Oscar thought back. _It's not like she'd fall for a kid like me, anyways._ It wasn't like he'd been getting his hopes up. But Ozpin's words worried at him. No romance? _Ever?_ This was new information. Oscar didn't feel very hungry anymore.

"You done? Want me to take your plate?" Ruby said, from right beside him, and he dropped his fork. The others were on their feet now, gathering dishes. He'd been so distracted by his internal dialogue, he hadn't even noticed her approaching.

"Sorry!" she said, noting his surprise. "Were you talking to the professor?"

"Uh... yeah," he said, struggling not to blush as he recovered his fork from the floor.

"It's not anything important, is it? You looked all serious," she asked innocently, and he wracked his brain for a quick excuse.

"No, he just, uh... doesn't like cantaloupe," Oscar lied, and she giggled. Giggled! He'd made her laugh, and her nose was doing that crinkly thing... Ozpin's warnings were swiftly leaving the forefront of his mind.

She took his plate, and their hands touched for the briefest moment, and suddenly Oscar couldn't quite remember why he'd even been feeling glum. He heard Ozpin heave a long-suffering sigh.

 _Eldest brother, deliver me from teenage hormones..._


	3. The Fall

**Complications**

 **Chapter 3: The Fall**

Keeping his thoughts Ruby-free was difficult when she happened to be his sparring partner. He had to watch her closely in order to properly block incoming blows, and he could feel the weight of Ozpin's scrutiny even as the old man provided commentary on his technique.

How was he not supposed to notice how nimbly she moved? Or how she'd give a little self-assured grin whenever she successfully dodged a blow? Or how all the footwork and parries, when all strung together, seemed almost like a dance? The buzz of Ozpin's irritation was building with each passing minute.

It wasn't like he was completely unfocused on the fight. He was starting to recognize her patterns. If he let his guard drop on one side, she'd punch, sidestep as he countered, and then duck down for a leg sweep.

 _If I time it right, I can jump over the sweep and land a kick before she can get back up,_ he reasoned. _  
_

He didn't time it right. Her other foot caught his ankle as he landed. Ruby's shout of triumph trailed off in an awkward squawk as he toppled forward and collided with her in a tangle of limbs.

Oscar thanked whatever gods were listening that he'd caught himself before he landed anywhere indecent. One knee was smarting where it had slammed into the dirt, but he supposed it was better than slamming it into Ruby. He looked up to stammer out an apology...

 _Too close_.

Her face was only inches from his, wide-eyed, her mouth open in a little 'O' of surprise. He found himself transfixed by her gaze. Those silver eyes had been the first thing he'd noticed about her. Her thick lashes kept them in shadow most of the time, but when the sun hit them at the proper angle – like right now - they lit up like moonlight, pale and luminous, and _gods,_ she was so pretty...

Oddly, she, too, seemed caught by his gaze, her eyes locked to his as he hovered above her. He had the nagging feeling he was supposed to be doing something...

"OooooOOOoo," a voice called teasingly from nearby. Nora's voice. Somebody coughed. Oscar became dimly aware that other people existed, as the rest of the world began to filter back in.

He also became aware that Ozpin was yelling at him.

 _...scar! Get UP._

Oh. Right.

Oscar scrambled to his feet, flushing scarlet. The other teens had all paused in their training to watch. Even Ren, who'd been meditating, had cracked an eye open to view the spectacle.

"I-I am _so_ sorry," he stammered to Ruby, who had picked herself up off the ground and was very diligently dusting off her clothes.

"S-Sure," she said quietly, glancing at him, and he could see she was as red as her cape.

 _Oscar,_ Ozpin said tensely. _Let me take over, please._ His words were short and clipped, and he was giving off waves of discomfort that rivaled Oscar's own embarrassment. Oscar was only too glad to retreat into the back of his mind, away from the prying eyes of the others, where he could die of shame in peace.

The sensation of the switch was always odd, like he was becoming smaller and smaller, moving backwards into a soothing darkness. Then it was as if he was watching through smoky glass as his form straightened up and spoke with a different voice.

"Miss Rose, you're telegraphing your moves. Don't let your opponent predict where you'll strike next. Mr. Ren, if you're free, perhaps you can spar with her?"

Ruby was avoiding Ozpin's eyes, nervously tucking her hair behind one caught a curious wave of apprehension from the old man, and just a snippet of a thought: _Not her, too._

 _Her too what?_ Oscar piped up.

 _Never you mind,_ Ozpin thought back. _I think it's best that you and Miss Rose work with other partners for the time being._

 _Her too what?!_

Ozpin ignored him, busy coaching the others. Training continued, but Oscar sulked in the back of his own mind, feeling like he'd missed something important, somehow.


	4. The Garden

**Complications**

 **Chapter 4: The Garden**

He was in his garden the night it happened.

It wasn't actually _his_ garden, of course. Just _a_ garden, a carefully cultivated patch of land that he'd found on the south end of the school grounds. But after coming across it, Oscar had dubbed it _his_ place. He and Ozpin had an agreement. Garden time was Oscar time.

The central feature of the garden was a koi pond, presided over by a large weeping willow. The koi were sluggish today, probably because it was beginning to grow colder. The sun had set, and his bench by the pond was already covered in gray twilight. He could see the occasional flashes of orange scales circling out from below the lily pads, searching tirelessly for another speck of food.

There'd been a pond on the farm, but it had only contained bland, ordinary fish, nothing as flashy or decorative as koi. It was weird, as beautiful as everything was here at Haven, part of him missed the more humble trappings of home. Things had been simpler there.

"Oscar! So this is where you got to."

He started out of his contemplation. He hadn't even heard Ruby approach. She stepped under the willow tree, weaving between the curtains of hanging branches.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm not... interrupting, am I?" She tapped her head and grinned.

"Oh! No. I was just... thinking. My own actual thoughts," he elaborated. She was standing expectantly next to the bench. He scooted over for her.

"Like what?" she asked with an unabashed curiosity, sitting beside him. Her knee was almost touching his, he noted.

 _Oscar_ , the voice in his head chided warningly. There was an edge to Ozpin's voice, the same edge that always seemed to appear whenever he talked to Ruby now. Oscar ignored him. It was Oscar time.

He tilted his head, wondering how best to explain it to her. "I'm homesick, I guess. This place... it's all... overwhelming. The farm I grew up on, it's just me and my aunt. Even the nearest neighbors are miles away. And this city, all the people, Ozpin – even your friends – and don't get me wrong! I like them all!" he assured her hurriedly. "They're great. But sometimes it's just so _much._ "

He waved his hand around at the garden, at the flowering trees, the shallow pond with its koi. "So I come here. It's quiet, and it's pretty. There wasn't anything quite this... _landscaped_ around the farm, but it still feels a little like home. I can think here."

Ruby's eyes swept over the garden, appreciating its beauty and its solitude. When she looked back at him, her smile was tinged with sadness. "I'm really sorry that all this had to happen to you, Oscar.. My friends and I... we chose this path. But you..."

"It's not all bad," Oscar said quickly. "I mean... if this hadn't happened to me, I would never have met you. Err, any of you," he corrected, not quite quickly enough.

Shoot. He'd said too much. Surprisingly, though, she smiled, and it was hard to tell in the dark, but he thought she might have blushed a little. _Did_ _I actually make a cute girl blush?_ He felt an odd twinge of pride at that.

 _Oscar, this is inadvisable,_ cautioned Ozpin. Oscar ignored him again, mostly because what Ruby said at the same time made his heart skip a few beats.

"I'm glad I met you, too, Oscar."

He decided swiftly that those seven words, in that particular order, were now his favorite in the universe.

And then all function in his brain ceased as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. Kissed his cheek! He forgot how to move, how to breathe. Somewhere in the deepest recesses of his mind, Ozpin was shouting his name now, but he suddenly couldn't imagine caring about what the old man had to say, because his blood was roaring in his ears and her _hand_ was on his _shoulder_ and her _LIPS_ were on his _CHEEK._

What was happening?Was it... even possible that Ruby liked him, too? He hadn't dared to dream. She was older, and cooler, and taller, even. And that was completely aside from... other complications. But... just maybe...

The moment was passing, she was moving away, lifting her hand from his shoulder.

"Ruby?" he said, turning his head towards her.

 _Too close._

He'd screwed up again, he'd turned too soon, and now they were practically nose to nose. Her eyes went very wide.

He should back up and give her space. And he definitely, definitely shouldn't be reaching for her hand. Or letting his eyes drift to her lips.

But Ruby wasn't moving away, either. And he could see now that she definitely _was_ blushing. And... and tilting her head. _And closing her eyes oh gods what was he even doing he'd never done this before_...

Their lips brushed together once, shyly. She gasped, just a tiny intake of breath, and he waited a single breathless moment, afraid she would back away. But when his hand found hers in the dark, her fingers slid between his without hesitation. Feeling braver, he leaned in a little more, his mouth finding its mark more firmly this time and then he couldn't believe he was _kissing_ her and _she was kissing him back._

He could hardly believe this was actually happening. What alignment of the cosmos had taken place that he had actually, somehow, managed to catch her attention?His heartbeat was thundering in his ears so loudly, he couldn't even hear Ozpin's voice. His mind was filled with nothing but Ruby, the touch of her hand, the feel of her lips. It barely even felt like he was sitting on the bench anymore.

Reality came crashing back all too quickly as Ruby's head suddenly snapped back, a look of dawning horror on her face. Her hands leapt to cover her mouth.

"Ooooh nonono..." She was standing up now."I shouldn't ha... We can't..." She backed away. "Oscar, I'm sorry, b-but we _can't._ " And she fled at full speed, leaving a wake of red rose petals. Oscar stared after her, stricken.

He could feel the waiting presence in his mind, a current of irritation and disappointment that was entirely separate from his own muddled emotions. _Don't,_ he thought furiously at Ozpin. _Not now, okay? I know I'm a huge idiot. I don't want to hear it from you._

Mercifully, the old man was silent. It was only later, after he'd wandered sullenly back to his room and collapsed face-first onto the bed, that he directed his thoughts at Ozpin again.

 _This is all your fault._

He'd expected a tirade, but was surprised to hear Ozpin heave a long sigh of resignation.

 _...I know. And I'm sorry._


	5. The Secret

**Complications**

 **Chapter 5: The Secret**

" _He kissed you?!_ And then you _RAN AWAY?_ " _  
_

"Keep it down, Nora!" Ruby hissed, glancing fearfully at the door of their room. "This is for your ears only!"

"But this is huuuuge!" Nora whispered, wide-eyed, indicating with her hands just how huge, in fact, this was.

"And he didn't just kiss me. I... went for it too. It was a both-of-us kinda thing." Her heart was still racing at the thought. She might never stop blushing.

"But he's _Ozpin!_ " Nora looked entirely too delighted at the prospect of this new drama in her life, and Ruby wondered if maybe she should have gone to Weiss, after all. But Weiss was rooming with Yang, and Yang absolutely _could not_ know.

"Oscar is not Ozpin! They're two separate people... mostly... for now," she finished lamely.

"But Ozpin was _in_ there," Nora said, gleefully scandalized.

"I _knoooow_." Ruby kicked her feet on the bedspread. "Why do you think I ran?" She slammed a pillow over her face and spoke into it, muffled. "I should have known better. Stupidstupidstupid."

She peered around the pillow at Nora, who was sitting cross-legged beside her on the bed, gazing down at her with an expression of bemused concern.

"It was my first one, too," Ruby sighed. "And I really do like him. He's nice, and sweet, and really cute, and have you seen his eyes?" She wouldn't have kissed him if it hadn't been for those eyes. The way he'd stared at her... like she was the only person in the world.

"He's a bit young for me." Nora said dryly. "And also, a bit old."

Ruby put the pillow over her face again and groaned.

Nora flopped on her belly beside Ruby, shaking the bed. "So. What was it like?" she whispered, and Ruby didn't even need to remove the pillow on her face to know that Nora was grinning devilishly. It occurred to her that Nora, after a lifetime of waiting for Ren, might not actually know.

She rolled onto her stomach as well. "Oh, Nora, it was so nice! Really, really nice. It felt like I was floating, and we held hands, and... and... then I freaked out and ran off and probably broke his heart. How am I supposed to face him tomorrow? Oh gods, Nora, how am I gonna face _Ozpin_?!"

Nora sucked in a huge breath. "Oooo, your uncle is going to _kill_ him."

Ruby blanched. "My uncle can _never know._ Not ever. Or Yang! Or _any_ body."

"Can I tell Ren?" Nora asked immediately, as if Ruby had not just said 'anybody.'

Ruby sighed. As irrepressible as Nora was..."Okay, you can tell Ren." He, at least, was a master of discretion, and it suddenly occurred to her that he would have been the better person to talk to about this...

"Can I teeeell... Jaune?" Nora continued, sounding like she was on the verge of naming off every person they knew.

"Absolutely not! You know he can't keep a secret. Besides, the fewer people that know, the less weird it will be when we all have to train together."

Nora giggled. "Ooooh, practice is gonna be _so_ awkward tomorrow. I can't _wait."_

Ruby hit her with the pillow.

…


End file.
